Vanarama growth recognised in Sunday Times league table

By Tim Campbell

6 December 2017

Vanarama has been named as one of Britain’s private companies with the fastest growing sales, in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table.

Vanarama ranks 73rd in the table, alongside other well-known brands like PureGym, Leon and BrewDog. Founded in 2004 by CEO Andy Alderson, Vanarama started life as a used vehicle dealership with six employees. It now has an employee headcount of over 180 and annual sales growth of 54% over the three years ending December 2016.

It has also recently broken ground into car leasing and short-term leasing as well as commercial vehicle insurance. The company’s latest venture has taken it overseas, launching the Vanarama brand into the US market.

“I’m often asked what the key to the on-going growth of Vanarama is,” said Alderson, “there’s no secret really. A dose of good old-fashioned hard-work, always focusing on customer service and keeping abreast of the latest technologies demanded by our customer base are fundamental.

“For instance, we’ve just launched iVan, the first end-to-end AI chatbot in use by a UK automotive company.”

Also listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For, the entrepreneur cites looking after staff as key to the company’s success, “You’re only as good as the people who represent your company,” he said.

Over the past 21 years, the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 has become the definitive barometer of privately-owned growth companies in the UK and has featured many companies that have gone on to greater success.

Sir Richard Branson of Virgin, the title sponsor of The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 said, “Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the economy; driving innovation, creating jobs and challenging industry norms. The achievements of the companies on this year’s Fast Track 100 list are fantastic. It’s clear over the coming years UK business will have to adapt to different conditions and we must do all we can to support our entrepreneurs – who will be the engines of growth for Britain.”